Grace is a senior in Houston, Texas. She attends a public magnet high school.

May

Last month you said you were going to the University of Houston. But it sounded like your mother was putting up some resistance and preferred Texas A&M. May 1st has passed: did you commit to U.H.?

I committed! I'm honestly relieved as I keep looking at all the financial aid packages that I have received. Lately, I have been connecting with other students who will be going to UH with me as well, and I feel slightly more comfortable going for the next 4 years. My mother is still holding on to the idea that I could have gone somewhere else, but I think that she is coming around.

Did you agree to stay on Lafayette's wait list? How does that affect your thinking about U.H.? Do things still feel kind of up in the air? Or are you set on your path?

I did agree to stay on it at first, I have updated my status to be taken off. I think that I shouldn't be on the wait list if the conditions for UH are optimal for my college experience.

How does it feel to be finished with college admissions season?

It honestly feels great to be done with such a traumatic experience. College admissions is a changing stage for students to go through, and I think that at the end it has shaped me for the best.

If a current high school junior asked you for a single piece of advice about college applications, what would you tell them?

Where you go doesn't define you! Many students at my school feel bad for where they end up going but honestly that shouldn't be the case. A student shouldn't feel ashamed for going to a community college, or going to a state school. There is a stigma against staying in state, and it shows through commentary from peers and parents. I cannot tell you how many times I find myself explaining and defending my choice to go to UH to parents who tell me my potential has been wasted. People have private messaged me saying "I would have expected you out of all people to go out of state or at least U.T. LMAO". At the end of the day, people go to the school that fits themselves and wherever they go they belong.

What's left for high school? Is the yearbook finished? How was prom? What else is going on this month?

The yearbook has finally been passed out and I feels great to let people see the work Jack and I have put together. Managing distribution is its own stress on itself. This month has been a drag lately considering that teachers really haven't been doing much, is it even worth it to come to school? The answer is yes, attendance matters.

What are your summer plans?

This summer I plan on working a little bit, maybe go on a road trip with my friends. I plan on finding a balance of working and finally having a stress free summer.